Summary

• God of War Ragnarok's only DLC is Valhalla, a free expansion that introduces a roguelike game mode.
• Although it's free, Valhalla does provide an epilogue to Ragnarok, which continues Kratos' story.
• Valhalla includes plenty of new content, like new storylines, bosses, items, and more.

The Valhalla DLC for God of War Ragnarok is not necessarily a modest addition to the game, but it isn't a full-blown expansion either. Regardless, it manages to add plenty of new content to the game. Throughout the base game, Kratos and Atreus manage to survive the last days of Fimbulwinter and play a key role in Ragnarok, an apocalyptic event in Norse mythology prophesied to result in the death of numerous gods. Valhalla takes place after the base game's story in the eponymous mythical location.

[Warning: The following article contains spoilers for God of War Ragnarok's base game.]

Although Kratos does not perish in God of War Ragnarok, he receives a mysterious, anonymous invitation to Valhalla – a part of the Norse mythological afterlife – at some point following the game's events. Traveling with Mimir, the two arrive at Valhalla's black sand shores and discover a truly bizarre realm. Enemy-infested areas are linked by doors with no clear pattern, and it's quickly discovered that Valhalla is creating locales by piecing together bits of Kratos' memories. The gameplay in Valhalla is cyclical, but it still manages to feel fresh with a number of new additions.

10 Valhalla's Roguelike Gameplay

New Game Mode

From a very broad standpoint, Valhalla's largest new feature is the game mode itself, which introduces roguelike gameplay to the series. Derived from the 1980 dungeon crawler Rogue, roguelikes (or sometimes roguelites) entail numerous runs through randomly generated series of levels, all from a baseline starting point. Typically, there is some form of meta-progression – permanent unlocks to make further advances through the game possible – alongside choices that characterize each run. In Valhalla's case, these choices are selecting Runic Attacks, Glyphs, and other bonuses that will be wiped away upon death, whereas certain currencies gained in a run can be spent on permanent upgrades in Valhalla.

9 Valhalla, Part Of Asgard

New Location

Valhalla itself is a new location in God of War Ragnarok. Traditionally a part of Asgard, Valhalla was never visited by Kratos, nor seen in any other capacity. In Norse mythology, Valhalla is home to half of those fallen in battle, who reside there awaiting Ragnarok, in which they'll march with Odin against the jötnar, or giants. The mythological version of Valhalla is typically described as a massive hall in Asgard, but God of War Ragnarok's version is a bit more nebulous. Its areas are amalgamations of Kratos' memories, appearing similar to each of the Nine Realms and Kratos' homeland, Greece.

8 Confronting Kratos' Past

New Epilogue For Kratos

Although God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla's gameplay might be considered repetitive to some degree, it does advance the series' plot. It's quickly revealed that Freya is attempting to create a council which will preside over the Nine Realms in the aftermath of Ragnarok, and she wants Kratos to serve as the new god of war in Tyr's place, who has turned to pacifism. Kratos is reluctant to again take up a mantle under which he committed many atrocities, and much of Valhalla's story revolves around Kratos reckoning with his past deeds.

7 Blade Of Olympus

New Spartan Rage

While the story's more overt engagement with past entries in the series is fascinating, the Blade of Olympus' return is a truly tangible reward for longtime God of War fans. The legendary blade was forged by Zeus, and was integral to numerous plotlines in God of War's Greek saga. In Valhalla, the Blade of Olympus returns as a new Spartan Rage called Legacy, letting Kratos wield the blade to devastate enemies. In a DLC full of call-backs, having the Blade of Olympus useable once again is a welcome new addition to Kratos' Ragnarok arsenal.

Spartan Rage is activated by pressing R3 and L3 at the same time. There is no other way to use the Blade of Olympus in God of War Ragnarok.

6 Armor & Weapon Appearances

New Cosmetics

In line with its roguelike gameplay, Valhalla strips Kratos of all stat-boosting gear (and his leveled stats themselves). However, completing various Labors – challenges for using specific weapons, accomplishing certain goals, etc. in Valhalla – rewards the player with new armor and weapon appearances, which can be equipped on The Shore, Valhalla's hub area. Although they don't provide any statistical advantage, there are some new armor sets to be earned.

5 Mimir & Sigrun's Relationship

New Character Endings

God of War Ragnarok's main story reveals that Mimir and Sigrun, Queen of the Valkyries, were once in a relationship, but much about the duo's past is left unknown. After Valhalla's credits roll, subsequent trips through Valhalla will trigger more dialog from Mimir expounding on their past. This eventually leads to a significant development for Sigrun, whose connection to Valhalla has diminished after shirking its rules to save Kratos and Mimir after an earlier mishap. Sigrun soon decides to retire from her post as a Valkyrie, intent on traveling the world, a journey Mimir hesitantly understands she must take alone.

4 Helios' Head

New Character In God Of War Ragnarök

Kratos' trip through his past in Valhalla is haunted by specters, most prominent of which is the decapitated head of Helios, the Greek god of the Sun. Kratos decapitated Helios in God of War 3 during his assault on Mount Olympus, subsequently using the Sun god's head as a tool to illuminate dark areas, blind enemies, and reveal hidden secrets. Throughout the DLC, Helios will take Mimir's place on Kratos' belt, heckling his killer as Kratos travels through segments of Valhalla compiled from Kratos memories of their homeland.

3 Thor's Sons Modi & Magni Return

New Bosses & Enemies

It isn't just Kratos' distant past he must confront in Valhalla, but his recent tribulations as well. Valhalla pulls from Kratos' memories when putting foes in his way, including Thor's two sons, Magni and Modi, whom Kratos and Atreus killed in 2018's God of War. A couple of other, more minor boss characters reappear too, but regular mobs are also part of the procession – undead Greek soldiers, cyclopes, sirens, minotaurs, and more all return from God of War's Greek games, reworked for the new combat style.

2 Kratos' Classic Appearance

New Skin

Reckoning with Kratos' past deeds and completing the story of Valhalla rewards players with a new skin mimicking Kratos' classic appearance. The god of war appears without a full beard, substituted for the goatee he sported in earlier games, and with his ash-stained skin appearing brighter and tattoos of a deeper red. This new look is one of the few Valhalla additions that can be used in Ragnarok's base game, alongside the Legacy Spartan Rage.

Kratos' classic appearance can be equipped in the base game by pressing R3 on the inventory screen.

1 The Real Týr Is Back

New Chapter For The Norse God Of War

God of War Ragnarok's biggest twist is that Tyr, the Norse god of war turned pacifist, is actually Odin in disguise. The revelation leads to Odin killing Brok, but the real Tyr can later be found in Niflheim, where the Asgardian prison he was held in crashed after Ragnarok. In Valhalla, it was Tyr who anonymously summoned Kratos. Tyr then acts as a recurring boss fight, giving Kratos specific points to contemplate on his journey through Valhalla, offering his perspective as another god of war on Kratos' past actions. The return of the real Tyr feels triumphant after God of War Ragnarok's main story, and he's a poignant figure to help Kratos understand how far he's come.